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Lord Barnham
Mr Forster's Fortune
Regency Romance. Prequel to The Girl from Red Lion Square.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2013
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43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 25, 2017
I LOVE Lizzie Church's writing. I love it very much. I was fully prepared to give this book its due compliment of FIVE stars, but despite it having a happy ending, it was done in such an abrupt manner that I can't help but feel vindictive enough to give it only four stars. HMPH.
November 8, 2016
3.5 out of 5 stars
January 3, 2014
On the way to Bath, a snowstorm forces Lady Cecily Seymour and her fellow coach passengers to put up at an inn. She spies a handsome young man she wishes to know better but he remains elusive until she joins her relatives in Bath. In Bath, Cecily enjoys shopping for new clothes since her period of mourning for her parents will soon be over. Her frivolous aunt drags Cecily out to call on the most fashionable elite of Bath which includes a Mrs. Franklin. Mrs. Franklin has a sister, Lady Barnham, who happens to be the mother of Mr. Forster, the young man Cecily was so intrigued by at the inn. Cecily becomes friendly with Miss Forster and through her, meets her brother. Cecily hopes he is a man of character as well. Her family wishes her to marry her boring cousin Alfred, yet she can't help but be attracted to the charming, handsome Mr. Forster. Robert Forster and his cousin Tom Franklin are happy to be young men about town yet Robert wishes for more intimacy with his father and more responsibility. He will get his wish soon enough as his sickly father desires to see his family cared for before his death. Once Lord Barnham takes his son into his confidence, there's no other solution for Mr. Forster but to marry. Who he shall marry is up to him. He'll do the right thing no matter what he decides but should he choose his own happiness or the happiness of his family?
This quiet little Regency book takes a bit to get started. At first the heroine and hero both seem immature and shallow. I didn't like either of them very much and I was disgusted by the hero's behavior. Halfway through, the story changes and takes a more solemn tone. The story then describes a lot of the seedier aspects of Regency society as the plot moves forward. I found the story from that point on more interesting than the beginning. The characters show more depth and the plot is more interesting. It's different from the standard plots most authors follow but in a good way. The romance develops quickly, yet it's slow paced. It seems based on shallow pretenses but develops into a more once the characters get to know each other. It's a sweet, slow romance. There's nothing more than kisses. I really liked the hero for the most part, except in the beginning and during the misunderstanding. The heroine is rather underdeveloped and I don't know really anything about her except that she's rich, pretty, sweet, and a bit lively. She longs for more than her circumscribed life but she seems to ignore that longing in favor of romance which I didn't like. I could see the romance being the basis for a longer novel or shortening the beginning and then making the story advance a few years before the h/h come together. I found the ending just a bit too rushed for my taste.
The author has done extensive research on the Regency era. The descriptions of Bath are excellent but sometimes the research shows up in a forced manner. There are constant references to the streets and where locations the characters are at any given moment, one major stand-out of a fashion trend that clearly comes from a cartoon of the period. I love research and period details and I liked the attention to detail but sometimes it was a bit too much.
My criticism with the story is largely with the writing. The story is told in a rather detached manner. The characters never really come to life nor are they memorable in any way. We're told how Cecily is feeling at any given moment and what she's thinking but it doesn't really show through in the story. The character interaction is bland and the dialogue pointless. I think the author was trying to write in the style of Jane Austen without mimicking it exactly, which I appreciate, but I found the writing style a bit too slow for bedtime reading. I liked the story though. It was free on Amazon the day I bought it so I was nervous about the quality but it was worth the time I spent reading it. The story is better than average and the writing quality is better in the authors more recent novels, she will definitely be one worth reading. I would recommend it to those who like Jane Austen and some of the slower Regency set novels.
This quiet little Regency book takes a bit to get started. At first the heroine and hero both seem immature and shallow. I didn't like either of them very much and I was disgusted by the hero's behavior. Halfway through, the story changes and takes a more solemn tone. The story then describes a lot of the seedier aspects of Regency society as the plot moves forward. I found the story from that point on more interesting than the beginning. The characters show more depth and the plot is more interesting. It's different from the standard plots most authors follow but in a good way. The romance develops quickly, yet it's slow paced. It seems based on shallow pretenses but develops into a more once the characters get to know each other. It's a sweet, slow romance. There's nothing more than kisses. I really liked the hero for the most part, except in the beginning and during the misunderstanding. The heroine is rather underdeveloped and I don't know really anything about her except that she's rich, pretty, sweet, and a bit lively. She longs for more than her circumscribed life but she seems to ignore that longing in favor of romance which I didn't like. I could see the romance being the basis for a longer novel or shortening the beginning and then making the story advance a few years before the h/h come together. I found the ending just a bit too rushed for my taste.
The author has done extensive research on the Regency era. The descriptions of Bath are excellent but sometimes the research shows up in a forced manner. There are constant references to the streets and where locations the characters are at any given moment, one major stand-out of a fashion trend that clearly comes from a cartoon of the period. I love research and period details and I liked the attention to detail but sometimes it was a bit too much.
My criticism with the story is largely with the writing. The story is told in a rather detached manner. The characters never really come to life nor are they memorable in any way. We're told how Cecily is feeling at any given moment and what she's thinking but it doesn't really show through in the story. The character interaction is bland and the dialogue pointless. I think the author was trying to write in the style of Jane Austen without mimicking it exactly, which I appreciate, but I found the writing style a bit too slow for bedtime reading. I liked the story though. It was free on Amazon the day I bought it so I was nervous about the quality but it was worth the time I spent reading it. The story is better than average and the writing quality is better in the authors more recent novels, she will definitely be one worth reading. I would recommend it to those who like Jane Austen and some of the slower Regency set novels.
April 15, 2013
I wish I could give half stars - this one would rate a 2 1/2.
I found the story believable and I like how the author didn't have the H/h calling each other by their first names after being acquainted for 10 minutes. I also liked how the H/h weren't bickering with each other 'cause we all know that's how people who like each other really behave.
I found the story a little choppy - incidents occurred that left the reader hanging. Also, a major part of the wrapping up of the plot was told in a monologue style by one character.
I borrowed this on my kindle. Apparently this is the prequel to another book; I might borrow that one just to see what happens down the road for these characters.
Clean.
I found the story believable and I like how the author didn't have the H/h calling each other by their first names after being acquainted for 10 minutes. I also liked how the H/h weren't bickering with each other 'cause we all know that's how people who like each other really behave.
I found the story a little choppy - incidents occurred that left the reader hanging. Also, a major part of the wrapping up of the plot was told in a monologue style by one character.
I borrowed this on my kindle. Apparently this is the prequel to another book; I might borrow that one just to see what happens down the road for these characters.
Clean.
March 10, 2015
An Excellent Regency Romance.
I loved this book, Austen & Heyer have long been my favourite authors and I now have a new favourite. Lizzie Church has their light touch. She has produced a book that is a delight to read. Her characters have depth, they are interesting and likeable. The tone of the book and the behaviour of the characters is an excellent representation of that era. I just loved it. After reading this one I am going to buy all her other books too.
I loved this book, Austen & Heyer have long been my favourite authors and I now have a new favourite. Lizzie Church has their light touch. She has produced a book that is a delight to read. Her characters have depth, they are interesting and likeable. The tone of the book and the behaviour of the characters is an excellent representation of that era. I just loved it. After reading this one I am going to buy all her other books too.
February 25, 2015
3 1/2 stars. This was a fun story. It made a good easy read when I was recovering from the flu. The part when the title character visits a prostitute was realistic for the time period, but pathetic. It brings the character down a bit in my mind. I liked the happy resolution at the end the most.
March 20, 2013
This was a cute little story. I didn't like that it mentioned Mr Forster going to be with a prostitue after he already started to fall in love with Cecily. That's just stupid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this one. It was sweet and just seemed believable.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews